Stolen Ring Leads to Arrests of 4 Men

A monthlong search for a man who allegedly stole $2,500 worth of jewelry in Moorpark last month led to the arrests of four men Tuesday morning, including the suspected thief, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

James Lee Long, 40, of Moorpark was arrested on suspicion of burglary and was being held in the Ventura County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail, deputies said.

A gold-and-diamond ring he sold at a Thousand Oaks pawnshop turned out to have been one of the items stolen during a November burglary, deputies said.

Pawnshop owners require sellers to provide photo identification and a thumb print. They then send a list of their purchases to local law enforcement agencies, said Det. Robert Thomas of the Sheriff’s Department.

The ring description provided by the pawnshop owner matched that of the ring stolen in Moorpark, Thomas said. Using the information Long gave when he pawned the ring, deputies began their search for the suspect, he said.

Deputies located Long after several anonymous tips led them to two sites, including a house in the 200 block of Charles Street in Moorpark, Thomas said. In searching for Long, deputies arrested two men on suspicion of drug use, and one on suspicion of possession of property stolen in a separate burglary, Thomas said.

Donnie Ruiz, 41, and Terry Brent Gilmore, 49, both of Moorpark, were arrested on suspicion of drug use, Thomas said. They were being held in the Ventura County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Robert Trancy Corralejo, 55, of Moorpark was being held on suspicion of possessing stolen property from a burglary in Los Angeles, and on suspicion of drug use, Thomas said. He was also in jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.